These changes on the whole herald a reset and pivot, which Ascena urgently needs. And while its stock price has stabilized (in a loose sense of that word) near a 52-week high, the current investment climate conduces antsiness. The next two quarters will prove critical to either cement or shake investor confidence in the stock.

As a price-sensitive shopper who doesn’t particularly enjoy frequent price movements, ubiquitous promotions hinder both my understanding of a brand, and relatedly, my willingness to pay full-price. No wonder discounting has been described as a vicious circle, and is harmful in the long term to brand equity.

Take, for example, the “50% off your favorite styles” sale (no code needed; you can even stack the $25 off orders over $75 welcome code–ANNWELCOME4–on top) that Ann Taylor is currently running. I probably would’ve happily paid at least $99 for the Floral Lace Flare Dress* seen here, which is now $64.50 ($89.50 – $25 welcome code), but discounting has made it difficult to know what the optimal price is.

Discounting inevitably leads to buyer’s remorse and strangely makes every retail purchase a winner’s curse. Even when a shopper is totally pleased with the dress in question and with the sale price she has paid, her overall satisfaction will be diminished when she revisits the site/store a few days later to find her dress further discounted.

But I guess what I am really trying to say is, this dress (and hundreds of styles at Ann Taylor) is now on sale at a great price online, so I would encourage browsing if you are looking to shop. My picks:

Also on sale is the Marina Pant which I love and own in several colors (see on me here).

* The dress fits true to size, but the mid-calf length might be challenging. I went up a size in this style for a tiny bit more length, as the hem in my normal size hit at an awkward place.